


Feelings For The Mudblood

by Draco_Dormien



Series: Dramione [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-05-02 02:55:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 7,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5231246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Draco_Dormien/pseuds/Draco_Dormien





	1. Chapter One

Draco's POV

 

Draco Malfoy lay in bed thinking, not something he usually did that tonight the only son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, a Slytherin third year was confused.   
D dark green curtains on his bed were slightly open and he could see his dorm lit by the full moon coming through the slips windows across the room. The light was reflected in a large mirror above the mantelpiece, casting an eerie glow about the room. He was the only one awake in the dark September night, he could hear the snoring of Grabbe and Goyle and the others.   
Draco stared at the moon trying to figure out why he felt this way. He saw her in his mines eye, her bushy brown hair flying about her head, smiling with her mouth closed as if she had a secret joke. The red of her roots highlighting her skin. The glint of a gold necklace. why? Why was he thinking about her like that. The mud blood, with her bossy voice and buck toothed grin and either arm around Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. He tensed seeing Harry and Hermione together. No.   
Draco sighed. What could he do? Draco Malfoy had feelings for the mud blood.


	2. Hermione

Hermione Granger A third year of Gryffindor house ,sat bent over her Muggle Studies essay in their common room.   
She dipped her Quill in ink and blew her hair out of her face and went back to scratching out long sentences about "Muggles and the Wars: Why they joined in." But her heart wasn't in it.   
She was already exhausted, not even a month into the school year and the famously nerdy Hermione Granger didn't want to work. Maybe she should have never agreed to taking all those subjects... And the stress of time travelling that she went through every day... No! She must concentrate. It was probably the Dementors making her depressed. And it was her time of the month!  
She is abandoning her essay, and went to sit next to Ginny, Who was sitting by the fire in one of the big threat to their sofas. Ginny looked up from writing in a little blue book. After the events of last year Jenny made sure her diary was not magical in any way.  
"Hey" she said to Hermione.   
Hermione could tell she had been crying. Probably about Harry again.  
"Want a chocolate frog?" Hermione asked Ginny pulling out a couple from her bag. Saying munched on the chocolate into silence until she said "I don't think it's about you Ginny. He has a lot on his plate at the moment. We all do but he has more with black and all..." She trailed off ..."I just don't think he is looking for a girlfriend right now Ginny"  
Ginny nodded and poked at her chocolate frog card. Wenda Williongot glared at her.   
"Who needs boys eh?" She said. Hermione silently agreed.


	3. Draco

Draco was sitting in the dank dark dungeon of the potions class. They were brewing a patient to cure boils but he wasn't concentrating well. Crabbe was roughly cutting up roots and Snape was glaring at him.

Potion was always Draco's best class ( mainly because Snape gave him good marks) but today is his heart wasn't in it. Did he actually just think that? Slytherins hearts were never in anything besides the dark arts, their ambitions and their love.

By the end of the lesson Draco's potion had improved slightly into a muddy green mess. Only slightly better than that traitorous brat Longbottom. Snape over the edge of his cauldron , his crooked nose wrinkling with disgust.   
"I'm sorry Malfoy but that really isn't good enough. Five points from Slytherin. "  
What? Snape had never taken points off his own house

"But Sir...? "Draco started.  
"One more word Malfoy and you will have to write an essay on the correct way to brew a potion as simple as this. Potter! Come here. " Snape turned and snapped his fingers at Potter who swaggered over to Snape carrying a vile of perfect potion amid gales of laughter from the rest of griffin door. Ah! How he hated him! But Snape mearly said "passable and went to clear up the mess Pansy had made. Pansy. That girl really got on Draco's nerves. She was pretty and all but she was so full of herself and she thought that Draco adored her. And of course he didn't he liked... well who did he like? He cast his mind back to last night and the confusing thoughts he had had about Granger.

Draco looked around The room for her. She was near the door sitting next to the place Potter had just left. Hermione was struggling to cram her potions book into her purple bag. Draco wanted to go over and offer to help her. By the time he realised what he was doing Draco was standing in front of her with his mouth open.

Granger, who had finished packing up, glanced up at him. She looked at him strangely and pushed past. Draco watched her walk away, with a gentle walk, confident and fast but not cocky. Her curls bounced about her shoulders as she disappeared around the corner.


	4. Hermione

Hermione rushed into the bathroom. She sat down in the cubicle and check to watch- 1:59- she took out the time turner and turned it back once. Her watch now said 1 o'clock.   
Grabbing her bag she went out of the bathroom and put up with Harry and Ron.

 

"Where did you go? "Asked Ron bewildered. Argh damn.

 

"Oh, I just went back to get something... " Hermione tried to say airily but the boys didn't look convinced. "Come on guys, we will be late for Transfiguration. "

 

In Transfigeration Hermione had managed to turn her pincushion into a hedgehog and Professor McGonagoll was complementing the rainbow quills the hedgehog had but Hermione wasn't concentrating. She was thinking about how to Draco had looked at her. There was something in those grey eyes of his that was different to normal. There was an unknown kindness. She just couldn't think why.

 

"Granger? Are you okay? "

 

"Oh sorry professor. What were you saying? I'm afraid I wasn't concentrating. "

 

" I gave you five points to Gryffindor, and was asking if you had finished your essay." McGonagoll said to Hermione's terror.

 

"Oh, no! I forgot. Oh my goodness professor, should I write it tonight? " Ron was looking at her like she was crazy.

 

"No thank you. I would like to see you in my office at five. " McGonagoll stalked way. Oh dear god. Detention! Ron was obviously feeling the same way-staring at her, lost for words. Harry had not noticed-he was struggling to charm his pincushion.

 

That evening, after her meeting with McGonagoll, Hermione walked down for supper in the Great Hall. Professor McGonagle hadn't given her a detention, but was very concerned about Hermione overworking herself.

 

"No you be careful Granger. Don't exert yourself. But I would like the essay by next lesson I shall have to take points." She had said. Thank heavens! 

 

Hermione slid between Ron and Ginny on a bench, she got some pumpkin juice and drained it.

 

"What's with you today, Hermione?" Neville asked. 

 

"Oh, I'm just a bit tired." She said through a mouthful of pasty. Ginny who had been gazing at Harry, looked at her and my knee concerned."Honestly! I have loads of work to do guys so I will see you later." Hermione jumped up, the red and gold and black of her robes swirling around her, and ran to the library. 

Hermione sat down at one of the big wooden desks of the Hogwarts library and got out her books. She decided to write McGonagall's essay first so took out her exercise book and textbook at well as a couple rolls of parchment with her quill. The lamps flickered above her as she set to work.


	5. Draco

The Slytherin common room was crowded. one of the older kids had smuggled in Fire Whiskey from Hogsmeade so they were all drunk. hexes and school books were flying through the air at a rate of knots.

Draco was sitting at a large granite table eating a sugar quill and trying to write that damned essay that Snape had given him. he picked up his quill and took a bite. yuck! he came away with a mouthful of feathers- not the nicest experience. Suddenly a fanged Frisbee flew out of nowhere chopping a bit of Draco's prize, sleek blond hair off. Merlin's beard! Draco span round and bat-boogied hexed the 1st year who had thrown the Frisbee. that was the last straw, he was going to the library.

When he got to the library and had given in his overdue book after Madam Pince had threatened him with an evil glare even better than his mothers, Draco strode down the D-H aisle, the lamps flickering above his head and the smell of old dusty books wafting around. He pulled out a chair a few seats away from Finnegan who was reading The Daily Prophet. Three seats away sat Loony Lovegood with her feet in the air reading a Quibbler magazine. she was very strange but also fascinating. Draco took his partly written essay out of his bag and carried on, his neat scrunched up black letters spilling across the page in an effort to appease his favourite teacher.

A gentle cough echoed from across the room, he looked up and saw Granger. His stomach did a weird flip. Hermione was bent over a textbook concentrating hard. Draco watched her mesmerized. The way her curly brown hair fell about her shoulders, the way her arm moved smoothly across the parchment. The curve of her nose, the length of her eyelashes when she turned angling her head a profile view. She turned away again and Draco watched the fabric of her robes moving up and down as she breathed. How had he never noticed all these little things about her? it's strange how you can go from not noticing someone, to hating them, to noticing them and to feeling mesmerized by their every move. Draco had never felt this way before about anyone.

He sat there for ages until the stars were twinkling outside the window. His essay lay unfinished on the table.   
"If you're not going to finish that essay," Said a soft voice by his shoulder, "Can I have the parchment? You see my father has devised a way of treating wrackspurt fever using half finished essays." Luna was looking at him with a wide eyes.  
"What? No... Go away loony! " Draco sneered at her. He was crumpling up the blotchy half finished essay when he heard an angry voice from across the corridor. "Don't call her loony! That's not nice Malfoy! You know her name is Luna! " Hermione had span around and was looking furious. "Or maybe your brain is so small you can't even remember that. It's just filled with prejudice comments and the dark arts! "  
Draco was dumbfounded, what an earth should he say to that?  
"My father shall hear of this Granger." He mumbled.  
"Is that all you can say? Stand under your deatheater father's shadow? " She taunted him "and bully poor girls? Really Malfoy, what have you done with your life?"   
The Deatheater comment really got to him but he couldn't say anything worse, he had already messed up. So Draco opted for the simple,  
"I'm sorry. "  
Granger just stared at him dumbfounded, she obviously had not expected that.   
"Look, Granger, I need to go. See you around... " And he ran off.


	6. Hermione

Wow, that had been weird. Malfoy apologising?! Just wait till she told Harry and Ron. The look on Ron's face would be priceless, but then again Hermione had a niggling feeling that it wasn't a moment to be shared with her friends. Harry would probably curse Draco for the sake of it and Ron would curse him just for talking to Hermione! He was so over protective of her. They obviously hadn't seen her back chatting bullies before like she had done with Malfoy before.  
Malfoy, why was he acting so strange at the moment? Maybe it was a result of the Buckbeak incident...

Hermione rolled up her homework and gathered her stuff before trudging up to the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Tinkle Berries" she said, agitatedly.  
"Of course,Darling." And the portrait swung to the side.  
It was late so the common room was pretty empty. A few fifth years sat stressing over work and Harry and Ron were sat by the fire, waiting for her.

"Hermione! "Run jumped up when he saw her. "Where have you been? You weren't yourself at dinner and then brushed off. We've been worried. "  
"Where do you think? I've been working. "

"Are you okay? You are not over exerting yourself are you? " Asked Harry.

"Oh not you as well! "Said Hermione and stormed off towards the girls dorm. She took stairs two at a time up the tower, and pushed open the door marked "third years ". Lavender brown enveloped her is an enthusiastic hug. Again! 

"Hermy! We are planning a midnight feast! Come on! "She dragged Hermione over to Pavarti's bed.

"I'm sorry girls. I am just a bit tired today, I think I'm going to head off to bed now..." Hermione walk to the bathroom to get changed.

"Oh, Hermione! "Groaned Romilda. Ugh. The girls in her dorm what is so annoying.  
Hermione pulled the red velvet curtains around her bed and try to get to sleep but sleep just wouldn't come.


	7. Draco

The next day Draco had herbolgy first with Ravenclaw. They were in greenhouse 2 repotting Mortswood seedlings. Green and purple leaves were attaching themselves to his robes every time he touched them and so far he had managed to repot only three plants. The lesson was not going well. And Draco's tummy was rumbling since he had skipped breakfast. But then again Goyle was probably worse off though – his hand was covered in boils from accidentally touching the wood of the Mortswood several times. Could of done with yesterday's potion now, Draco chuckled.

Remembering last night Drake who looked around the room for Luna. She didn't seem to be there. Oh well, not his problem. Last night. Draco thought about Granger and about watching her and about their argument. Oh how he wished he could turn back time and re live that night. To sit next to Hermione and not to talk to Luna. Draco caught himself. His father had taught him never to dwell on the past. Lucius was right of course, as always.

Next Draco had a free lesson. He walked around the school wondering what to do. Up stairs that tripped you up, through doors that only opened on Tuesdays, and along passage ways that led him round in circles. He passed classes and classes.

"Dra – " said a voice behind him. He saw a flash of frizzy Brown hair and then it was gone. What? He was sure it had been Granger but she couldn't Apperate yet!? Maybe Draco was hallucinating? Or dreaming? He didn't know. He shook his head and made his way to his next lesson.

He had Arithmancy next– One of his chosen subjects. Granger took it with him. Maybe he could ask her whether she was there? Or maybe not, as Draco entered the classroom Professor Wasp was enquiring into the absence of Hermione

"Professor McGonagol has sent her to the hospital wing. Apparently she was over exerting herself – she is taking all of the subjects you know. " Padma Patil was telling Wasp

"Yes, yes I know Miss Patil – Ah,hello Mr Malfoy,glad you could make it – please sit between Padma and Miss Grangers empty space – we have had a desk change. " Draco sat down at the desk next to the till.

"Where is Granger? "He tried to ask casually, ignoring the flutters of worry.

"What's it to you Malfoy, I thought you hated muggle borns. " said Patil through gritted teeth.

 

"Just wondering if she got turned into a cat again?" he lied. "And I heard you telling Professor Wasp she was in the hospital wing..."

 

"If you must know," Padma said, yes I must. I need to know. "I passed McGonagoll in the corridor and she said Hermione had been taken to the hospital wing for rest, she over stressed I think."

One part of Draco, the bully, the dark, pureblood wizard he had been taught to be, wanted to mimic her, the mudblood, fainting from exhaustion, laughing gleefully. And the other half...well the other half wanted to rush to the hospital wing and see Granger and stay by her side until she was better and give her her favourite sweets...

Draco caught himself-he didn't even know what her favourite sweets were! time to slow things down.


	8. Hermione

Damn that stupid Timeturner! Hermione was so tired she kept messing it up and forgetting the time. Ron had noticed and so had Luna.  
Harry and Ginny had their own problems to think about and the girls just didn’t care, so at least they hadn’t noticed something was up. But yesterday Hermione had made the stupid mistake of saying something to Draco at the exact time she switched messing it up completely. So stupid. To him it would be like she had stared to say something then had just vanished. Oh dear. It’s obviously a bad omen-telling her not to talk to him, something will go wrong. But she still wanted to find out why he was acting so oddly.  
After she had made that mistake the day before she had bumped into her past self three times and had fainted in the common room. Fred and George had found her collapsed on the floor and had taken her to McGonagall who insisted she stay in the hospital wing for a few days. So here she was, stuck with Madam Pomfrey for company, bustling around her like she has a chicken up her robes and making sure she drunk the disgusting sleeping droughts. And she was going to need to catch up on loads of work when she came out again. Oh no! What was she going to do?  
Madam Pomfrey came in and forced Hermione to take a foul smelling potion. She drifted off to a dreamless sleep...  
******** She woke to the smells of the hospital wing and the sound of a recognisably annoying voice. “Careful, you stupid woman! Don’t touch it it hurts!” Malfoy was saying to Madam Pomfrey as she bathed a large cut on his hand. Was this good or bad luck Hermione couldn’t decide. She sat up so she could see clearer. Draco was sitting in a bed across the room from her, tended to by Madam Pomfrey. He had a large cut across his hand. A very odd place to get a cut like that Hermione thought it looked like a silver knife had made it. Good thing he is not a werewolf then! She watched as Madam Pomfrey bustled around him, tending to the cut and forcing him to drink potions for the pain. Soon it was all bandaged up and Draco lay back on the bed, a smug, but in pain look on his face. Similar to when he had his arm in a sling because of Buckbeak. “Can I move to the bed next to the window?” Malfoy asked, gesturing to the bed next to Hermione. Madam Pomfrey looked to where he was pointing and saw Hermione awake. Hermione hurriedly tried to pretend she was asleep but soon enough the nurse came over and forced her to drink the foul smelling potion. Hermione lay back on the down pillow and watched Malfoy move to the bed next to her. “Hello Granger, I see you haven’t been turned to a cat this time…or petrified for that matter,” He teased. Was it her or was his tone flirty instead of mean? No it must be the potion working. In fact she tried to answer but found she couldn’t. It was working and she was falling asleep… “Night, night.” Draco said. Winking at her. 


	9. Chapter Nine- Draco

Draco

 

Draco watched as Hermione fell asleep, her hair spreading around her face like a halo. So Patil had been right, she had been sent up for rest. But why Draco still didn't know.

He had been desperate to see her, so desperate that in fact that potions lesson he took his own silver dagger to his hand. It hurt but Madam Pomfrey had cleaned it up well. Now he was going to have to fake so he could stay in the hospital wing next to Granger.

She was breathing softly in her deep dreamless sleep. She looked so beautiful, Draco couldn't believe he had ever thought she was plain or even ugly. He could kick himself for not knowing that she would become friends with Potter and the Weasel.

It was nearing nightfall and most of the hospital wing were asleep or unconscious. There were snores floating across the room and Madam Pomfrey was in her office. Draco fingered the bandage of the gently throbbing hand. He wondered what to do. He had managed to get this far, to the hospital wing to see Granger, which was what he wanted to do...but he was here now and she was asleep. He couldn't even talk to her.

Draco sat there for a while and the sun sank over the lake and night fell. Watching Hermione sleep. Soon enough he to fell asleep.

 

*************************

"Malfoy!" Came a loud whisper, waking up Draco. He blinked and struggled to sit up, the early morning light burning his eyes.

"Malfoy!!?" Said Granger, more insestantly this time.

"Oh...um. Hello Granger, you ok----" He yawned "okay?" he whispered back scratchily.

"yes. No... I don't know! What are you doing here?" She asked. Then looked at him with one side of her head leaning towards her neck.

"What?"

"You have like a an ink splodge on your nose Malfoy."

Draco blushed and rubbed his nose furiously, that just had to happen didn't it.

"Anyway, you are avoiding my question! I repeat, what are you doing here?"

"I cut my hand." Draco said shrugging nonchantly, and gesturing to the bandage.

"Too right you did!" Hermione scoffed. "and why would you do that may I ask, Draco Lucius Malfoy?"

How did she even know his full name!? He tried to protest his innocence, but she didn't believe him so he resorted to:

 

"Why should I Mudblood?"

 

"Maybe because I want to know..." she said slowly.

 

Draco raised an eyebrow. (was he flirting? did he mean to? did he like it?) (yup, yup and yup.) (aw crap)

 

" You are acting strange around me, being nice for once and then you...cut yourself, on purpose, when you hear I am in the hospital wing---what is going on Malfoy?"

 

Oh gods, what was he supposed to say to that. it sounded so... strange...weird...abnormal, coming out of Granger's mouth.

 

"Oh-kay, hold your Hippogriffs!"

 

"They are holding."

 

"I wanted to se you... to make sure you were you know, all right, and everything. So I made a little cut on my hand, which, I admit, did go a bit deeper than I expected, but I am here now and that is what-"

Matters. But he didn't say it.

 

"But why would you Malfoy, of all people want to see me?" she was looking at his blanket, nose scruntched up in concentration as she tried to figure out something neither of them understood.

"I mean, Harry and Ron haven't even visited me yet! Ginny came up for 5 minutes a few hours ago but still. Why you? I thought you hated me?" she accused.

Lord. Bide your time, Draco. 

"I don't hate you, I..." He trailed off uncertainly.

"Oh for magic's sake!" cried Hermione exasperated. "You what? Seriously, Malfoy, what is the matter?"

"I like you." Draco blurted out. Hermione was taken aback.

"Pardon?"

"I don't hate you, Granger – why do we have to? It's a silly school child feud and well... just look, I like you. I'm sorry... can't we just..." Draco trailed off and stared hard at the shiny floor-boards. This was not going well. Granger was looking at him incredulously.

"You, y-you? I'm... what?" Draco brought his eyes to hers. "I am so confused Malfoy. We've always hated each other; you're a bloody bully, a pureblood dark wizard and a Slytherin, whereas I'm a Gryffindor muggleborn. To add insult to injury, I am best friends with your adversary Harry Potter! I mean how could we be friends?" Potter, Draco growled, always ruining things. But Granger was right – they were on opposite sides. And he had hated her. But he needed to get to know her, he was desperate.

"Please, I -" they were interrupted by Madame Pomfrey coming in to check on her patients. Draco and Hermione both feigned sleep.


	10. Chapter Ten - Hermione

Hermione

 

Madame Pomfrey bustled around them, checking temperatures and tucking in blankets. Hermione tightly squeezed her eyes shut. 

Please, please don't see I'm awake.

She desperately needed to finish that conversation .She needed to know what on earth was wrong with Malfoy? First he was looking at her strangely, then following her, deliberately trying to talk to her, apologising and now this? But Hermione's prayers were not answered. 

"Tut, Tut, Miss Granger – you must tell me when you awaken. Here," Madame Pomfrey forced her to drink the awful potion. "Now. Mr Malfoy – how is your hand?" she asked. Malfoy snatched his hand away from her.

"It still hurts. Can I have some sleeping potion too?" He asked.

"Oh, well... I'm not too sure..."

"Now would be good – I want to get some sleep." He said forcefully. 

"Well, if you insist." Replied Madame Pomfrey. Hermione strained to keep her eyes open as Malfoy took the Sleeping Draught. He grimaced, presumably at the foul taste of the stuff, as she had done many times in the past few days, then grinned at her. Grinned? Malfoy?! Hermione must already be asleep.

 

* * * ******************

When she awoke, the low sun was pouring through the stained glass windows, creating little rainbows on the white-washed walls. It must be nearly afternoon. Hermione sat up and plumped up her pillows. She looked over at the bed next to her, Malfoy was still sleeping. His white blond hair was all ruffled up in a way she had never seen before – it usually was neatly combed back. It would have looked rather adorable if he wasn't Draco Malfoy.

When she thought about it, he didn't really look like the Malfoy she knew at all. He was sleeping peacefully, without a sneer or an angst ridden face. It was strange, but like this, he almost looked beautiful. Hermione quickly scolded herself; what was she thinking? This was Malfoy for goodness sake!

Her time in the hospital wing must be about three days by now, maybe four. By Rowena's long lost diadem, she was going to have a lot to catch up on from those lessons. Hermione mentally went through her time table: Charms, Arithmancy, Transfiguration, Muggle Studies, Runes, Potions, Defence Against The Dark Arts, Divination and History of Magic. Most of her subjects!

Of course, the only one she didn't care about was Divination. That old hag Trelawney and her stupid predictions. Hermione strongly suspected it was all a load of dragonshit. And Lavender Brown believing it all, with that stupid bunny last week...

Lavender! Goodness, Hermione hoped he was taking good care of Crookshanks. Harry was going to look after him but Ron adamantly refused to let Crookshanks into the boys' dorm because of Scabbers, so Lavender had to look after the cat. Oh dear. 

Hermione wondered what the date was today, nearly Halloween she thought. She couldn't wait for their first Hogsmeade trip that was planned for that Halloween Saturday.

 

Next time she looked over to the bed beside her, Draco was awake, staring at the ceiling with cloudy grey eyes, absently pulling the bandage on his hand. He glance over and saw Hermione looking at him.

"So..." he started. 

"So... I think you have some explaining to do, Malfoy."

Instead of answering her, Draco pulled up the sleeve of his shirt revealing a smooth pale, strong arm.

"Do you know how I got this?" The muscles?! 

He pointed to a silvery scar, raw, but well healed. Oh...

"Buckbeak." said Hermione quietly. "I always thought you were faking it. To get Hagrid into trouble."

"No, I did not fake it. Yes – I agree, I was provoking the Hippogriff. I'm not stupid, I know they abhor being insulted. But my father said to get Hagrid out, he thinks that stupid, great oaf of a Half-Breed should never work at a refined school of wizardry."

"Don't you dare call Hagrid an oaf! He is one of the warmest, kind-hearted men I know. He wouldn't hurt a fly." said Hermione indignantly. How could Malfoy say such things!

"What I'm trying to say is that my father's wrong. He was wrong to say that, and look where it got me," he paused. "This scar is the mark of my father. And he was also wrong about you, Granger, about Mudbloods. I don't care that you have muggle blood running through your veins, as I no longer care whether Hagrid is half-giant or anything..."

"But–" Hermione interjected.

"No, wait, let me finish. I don't care that you are a muggleborn, or a Gryffindor, or friends with Potter. They all make you what you are, and that is the best witch in our year, possibly the school. And the... well, it's things like that, that matter Granger, not who you're born to. Not being a Pureblood or a Slytherin like me shouldn't mean have to hate you."

When he'd finished, Hermione just sat there, in shock. And completely and utterly lost for words for once. "I... I know that doesn't answer your question but... I d-don't know the answer. I hate that. But what I do know is that I was, well, very wrong about you, Granger. I know," Malfoy paused and closed his eyes, sighing. "I know, I'm stupid that it's taken this long, but things can change... I want, I would like..."

"To be friends with me?" Hermione said, so quietly she wondered whether she had said it in her head. Malfoy bit his lip, but was silent. He was probably thinking the same thing as her – Harry and Ron would be so gutted. Worse, they might not even talk to her! But Hermione knew, deep down, that she could never betray them; that they were all bounded together by fate. Especially now, with Ron being so upset about Scabbers, and Harry and the Dementors. That would mean abandoning Ginny and Neville and god knows who else. She could never do that to them. If Hermione Granger was anything, it was that she was loyal to her friends.

However, Hermione had a niggling feeling that time would tell, but for now, she could try, just try to be friends with Malfoy. People can change, right?

His face when he was asleep, so kind and peaceful, beautiful even, kept coming back to her. Now when she looked back at him, his eyes were pleading at her. "We would have to keep it a secret you know."

"I know but Herm–------ Granger, please can't we just... try?" A strand of hair fell lightly onto his face, and the clogs in her heart clicked into place. "Please Granger."

"Okay."


	11. Chapter Eleven - Draco

A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall came in and talked to Madam Pomfrey about letting Hermione go back to lessons but Draco could barely hear them. She agreed! Hermione Granger wanted to be friend with him!

"Come now Miss Granger, it's time you were up and about." McGonagall was saying when Draco finally zoned in. 

"Take this every night Granger, at 8 o'clock on the dot; sleep well and don't overwork." Said Pomfrey. Granger thanked her for the potion and turned to McGonagall. "What will I need to catch up on, Professor? I'm sure I have missed loads."

"Don't worry Granger, I've made you have several rolls of notes to read but don't worry about other work. Are you sure you still want to carry on with all those subjects though...?" Draco watched as Granger picked up her night clothes and sweets and cards. He couldn't believe she was going already. 

Just as McGonagall and Granger were leaving, Draco called out. "Nurse! I'm feeling much better. I think I can go now!" Hermione turned round and glared at him. Oh dear – was he really being that obvious?

Pomfrey came over and untied the bandage on his hand. She winced. "Yes, it is better, Mr Malfoy, but that scar will stay I'm afraid. Silver is very difficult to heal completely." She gave him some painkillers and sent him off.

* * *

There was only one lesson of the day left; Astronomy – so Draco made his way up to the top floors. He liked the airiness and light of the towers in Hogwarts. He passed the stairs that led to Ravenclaw, much nicer here than in the dungeons that Slytherin was in. maybe Draco should have been a Ravenclaw? No. what was he thinking? Of course not, he was born and bred a Slytherin; his whole family had been Slytherins, well except a couple – his cousin Nymphadora Tonks and Sirius Black – but look what happened to Black; he's a murderer.

Maybe you could take a dark wizard out of Slytherin, but you can't take the Slytherin out of them. You had to have a dark side of you to be in Slytherin house, it was part of the ambitious skills that make a Slytherin. Look at the Dark Lord – the most famous Slytherin of them all and the darkest of the lot; and his aunt Bellatrix – in Azkaban! 

No, Draco could never have been a Ravenclaw, it wasn't in his blood. But then again what had he been saying to Granger, that blood didn't matter? Draco sighed as his mind whirled in confusing circles. As he approached his classroom, he had decided, if he had to make a decision, which inevitably may come soon; what with his family being deatheaters, he would fight for good and for the ones he love.

Astronomy passed in a blur of pointless star charts. Draco learned that he was born under Gemini, which meant he had a split personality, making him laugh inwardly. He also found his name was a constellation.

* * *

The Common Room was crowded as usual. Draco, fleetingly greeted his 'sidekicks', for want of better word, Crabbe and Goyle, and a fellow Slytherin third year, Zabini. They all wanted to know where he had been, for they were lost without him, their ringleader. Draco vaguely said he hurt his hand and Crabbe and Goyle immediately dropped the matter, barely a brain between them.

However, Zabini was more suspicious, "I don't understand Malfoy, you were gone for ages and you only–" he was cut off by Pansy Parkinson, slinking in front of him.

"Hello Malfoy..." When her and her gaggle of girls simpered over him, Draco decided to make a swift exit and go for an early supper. 

The Great Hall was relatively quiet with the table Draco sat at, for Slytherins, which was virtually empty. There were no Hufflepuffs in sight, they all did clubs. Ravenclaw's table had a few students, usually hidden by a huge pile of books. However, the Gryffindor table was almost full, a rowdy bunch, scoffing food and laughing. They obviously liked an early supper.

Back at Malfoy Manor, Draco usually ate supper by himself in his quarters, but occasionally, when they had guests or special dates, the Malfoys ate as a family. Draco hated having guests because his father always ruffled his hair, talked about his good grades and generally treated him as a little boy. He was 13! That's no longer a child, his father should know that! Draco felt so much older than some of his peers, even though he was one of the youngest in the year. At least he was older than Potter, one up on him.

As Draco turned into the delicious fish pie (made by the Hogwarts house elves), Draco wondered how Dobby, their old house elf, was getting on (Dobby was obsessed with Draco). He looked over at the Gryffindor table, trying to find Granger in the sea of black and gold robes. There she was, just sitting down next to Ron, who was wolfing down his meal. 

Where was Potter? 

Probably at Quidditch practice – oh how Draco couldn't wait to beat him, Seeker to Seeker.


	12. Chapter Twelve - Hermione

Hermione

 

 

As Hermione reached for the roast potatoes, she felt that peculiar feeling you get when someone is watching you. She turned around and sure enough, sitting at the Slytherin table, all by his lonesome, was Draco Malfoy. Her stomach jerked a little at the recognition. She checked to see if Ron was looking at her, (for once she was extremely glad Harry was at Quidditch practise) and quickly gestured to the door at Draco. He nodded slowly and Hermione got up and started to head towards the huge doors. After a few seconds, Draco fell into step with her as she was passing the Ravenclaw table.

"Library?" Whispered Hermione.

"Row H-M?" Draco responded. "7 o'clock?" 

Hermione nodded and then, to her surprise, grinned at him, at the outrageously stupid idea of it. His mouth flickered up at the corner, a rare hint of a genuine smile and he turned around, a swirl of back, green and silver. Hermione stood there, unsure of what to do. She heard a familiar cough and glanced to the source of the sound- her friend Luna. Hermione seized the opportunity and walked over.

"Hello Hermione, why were you talking to Malfoy just now?" Luna asked.

"Pfff! What do you mean, Luna? I...um...never mind. And do you know you are supposed to wear school robes on school days?" Luna fixed Hermione with that unnerving stare of hers. Hermione backed off, making her pitiful excuses. 

She made her way back to her seat to finish her supper but was intercepted by Lavender Brown

 

"Oh Hermione! Are you better? I was sooo worried! And, oh my gosh, Crookshanks is so adorable. However," she paused and her tone changed from gushing to concern. "He seems to be obsessed with that scraggy rat of Ronald's. Crookshanks seems to have it in for him." Hermione reassured Lavender that it was fine, but she had noticed it herself, her gorgeous, giant, ginger tom cat, Crookshanks, was interested in Scabbers in an unappealing way. Hopefully, Ron hadn't noticed yet though.

"Oh! Where have you been?" Ron asked, as she sat back down next to him, as if he hadn't noticed she was missing...

"Was just talking to Lavender Brown." Ron rolled his eyes and resumed stuffing lasagne into his face.

 

**********************

When Hermione had finished her food, she went up to her dorm to get her bag. She climbed out of the Fat Lady's portrait and found Neville on the floor, crying.

"Oh, Neville," she helped him up and handed him a tissue which she 'Accio'ed out of her bag.

 

"I forgot the password again!" he wailed, taking the tissue.

"It's Titus Andronicus at the moment, you really should write them down you know, if you keep forgetting!" Neville furrowed his brow.

"What if somebody, not in Gryffindor I mean, found it?"

"Why would they find it? Look Neville, we can't have this happening again..."

"But Hermione," he had started to cry again, "what if I dropped it and lost it? I lose anything, I even lose my toad!"

"What about 'Accio'?" Hermione asked.

"I can't do it!" 

Ughh. Neville always made thing extra difficult even back in the first year when he got in the way of them sending Norberta to Charlie. If he hadn't, Draco might not have spotted them, they might not have forgotten the cloak and they might not have gotten detention in the Forest! That Draco was so different from the one she knew now, two years on...

Draco! She checked her watch as it said 6:50pm. Oh no!

"Look Neville, I really have to go now. I have um... homework to do.. or something... see you around." And she sped off.

*****************

Hermione loved the library. At home, she had a treasure trove of books on her bookshelf, fiction, non-fiction, picture, school books, and books from primary school, colouring books and what not, but that was a speck of dust compared to the Hogwarts Library. Hermione thought that all the old cracked spines must hold all the knowledge in the world. This was where she came to work, to think, to escape, to learn, whenever she was in need. Magic floated on the dust in the air. But it wasn't all magic, no.There was fiction too, stories for muggles and wizarding folk. Hermione had recently came across a whole shelf of romance novels that if her mother had seen, she would have burned them all down. 

She had found it a rather peculiar manner, Madam Hooch, the broomstick riding teacher, was laughing at something. 'How odd? ' Hermione had thought. When Hooch left, Hermione sidled up to the section and found hundreds of muggle romances.

She glanced at the shelf now, but walked on, towards the ordinary spellbooks section, obviously the largest, (with History coming close behind). She sat down at a table in the H-M row, as Malfoy had said. Hermione took out her homework and attempted to start it but kept glancing around the room. It was now five past seven and still no sign of white-blond hair. Hermione sighed and tapped her fingers on the dark oak table. But it wasn't the table. She looked down and saw a rolled up piece of parchment in a crack in the table. She dug her nails underneath it and it came away, springing open in her hand.

"D.M. to H.G." it said in tiny sloping black letters. "This will not be a good place to meet. Look around you, all those people, what will they think? Please, Granger, I don't people to talk, at least, not yet. Can you come to the 'Flying' section? It's small and barely ever used and out of sight. I look forward to seeing you there. Malfoy. P.S. I really hope you find this, but with you and your hawk eyes, you will be sure to find it. Maybe we could use this for messages."

That's why he wasn't here! Hermione looked around and agreed that all these people shouldn't see them together. She took off towards the 'Flying' section, ignoring Madam Pince's cry of "No running in the Library child!"

She found it, a few bookshelves around a corner under a window. A single table was lent against a shelf. A book was open on the desk, the moon making the silver chain glint in the soft light. A boy was reading it. His pale hair hanging over his face, his back turned to her, jumper with sleeves rolled up exposing pale but athletic arms, a pale scar on one arm, from an angry hippogriff and a reddish scar on the other hand. 

The scar made for her. As Hermione gazed at the scar – the red against the white – she felt as though it was physically burning into her heart. His arm moved and it was taken out of view. Hermione looked at him more clearly. He sat in that slumped way only boys can sit, legs lolling and back curved showing each tone on the spine. The folds of the material, falling from his shoulders, shoulders which were in the process of going from goy to man, delicate and strong.

The material stretching across his hips and buttocks. A line of soft, feathery hair, down his neck in the hollow the faint line of his jaws. The back of his ears, slightly pink. A tuft of white-blond hair sticking up from the rest of his neatly combed hair. The rise and fall of his breathing. Her own breath hitched, causing her to cough to slightly.

Malfoy spun round, pushing the book away, and his face hard, a sneer prepared as comeback whatever the owner of the cough had to say about his being here. But then it softened, a twitch at the corner of his mouth, as if lifted by a puppeteer.

"Granger."

"Malfoy." Said Hermione, beaming.


	13. Draco

Draco had been sitting there for ages now, waiting for her. Would she come? Wouldn't she come? There was still no sign of her half an hour after he put the paper in the crack on the desk. Should he go and look? No, he might miss her. What was he doing? What would his father say? She was a Mudblood! Doesn't matter. He likes her,he likes her.

He had paced under the window watching the stars blink at him as if saying, don't ask me,how should I know? He had sat down, pulled a book from the shelf at random, but it turned out to be a beautiful book. The cover was deep purple and had gold lettering on the front. "A History of Flight: from Feary Wings to Wronski Feint, a guide to the feats of the skies." Inside it had coloured plates with beautiful drawings. He was engrossed in the chapter about angels when he heard a quiet, spluttery cough. He span around, scared of what someone might think, his face hard but realised it was Granger. Finally. He felt a smile tugging at his lips. She had come.  
"Granger." Draco said, feeling as though he could say that name forever.  
"Malfoy." She said grinning, showing her teeth, which somehow made her look even nicer.  
"You came!" He couldn't contain himself.  
"Course I did, not top of the year for nothing, I found your letter right away."  
"Sure you did..." Draco laughed, "Come sit here." He stood up offering his chair to Hermione but she shook her head and jumped onto the desktop.  
"Hermione!" Draco was so shocked at miss primy bossy boots misusing school property that he used her first name. She raised her eyebrows.  
"I thought I was Mudblood to you Malfoy." She said.  
He cringed.  
"Granger, Granger will do." Stupid, stupid boy.  
"Okay, Malfoy." Hmm. "So, what did you want to say then?"  
"I... Umm..." Draco, pull yourself together. "Us. He said simply. Merlin  
"Us?"  
She is flirting?! Change the subject.  
"Have you done your homework Granger?" Draco asked,then immediately wished he hadn't. Hermione jumped up.  
"No! Oh gosh, McGonagol said to catch up! "  
Draco suddenly had an idea.  
"Hey, come on let's go get your bag. We can do it together. "  
"You sure that's a good idea Malfoy? "  
"Yeah, come on." He tugged sleeve of her robe.  
They walked through the library together, surritipiously glancing around. Hermione suddenly pulled him behind a bookshelf, crouching down.  
"What? "He hissed.  
"Sea-musss!" She managed to say between giggles. Her laughter was so infectious, and the absolute stupidity of what they were doing rendered Draco unable to stand up for laughing.  
"Oh god Granger, what are we doing?"


End file.
